


Reclamation

by Dellessa



Series: Reclamation [1]
Category: Transformers: Shattered Glass
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, M/M, Mirror Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-12
Updated: 2011-11-25
Packaged: 2017-10-25 23:24:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/275997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dellessa/pseuds/Dellessa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Optimus has an obsession. Jazz has a secret. Starscream, sadly, just wants to run and hide from them both. Unfortunately that is not forthcoming. Shattered Glass AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Reclamation  
> Verse: Shattered Glass  
> Series: Shattered Glass AU  
> Rating:  M for implications.  
> Warnings: Violence. Non-Con.  
> Pairings: Jazz/Starscream. Optimus Prime/Starscream  
> Summary: Part 1 of ?  
> Note: Resurrection Sunday/Weekly Request Prompt: Jazz/Starscream – obsession...but that was fail since I dragged Optimus in on it. So, super!Fail on that front. :3

“There’s no need to miss someone from your past- There’s a reason they didn’t make it to your future” – Unknown

Jazz-

I watched the flier from my hiding place, it had been easy enough to circumvent the labs security. Laughably easy.  I watched and waited, knowing the attack would begin soon, and I would be in the perfect place to meet my objective. I had a plan, one I doubted the flier would appreciate much.  Optimus would appreciate the gift I planned to give him in any case.  I doubted the flier would think the same, but then he had already rejected the Prime once. If everything came to fruition I doubted that would be the case this time.  

The battle had begun, my audios picked up the whine of firepower, and the first of many explosions.  I couldn’t help but smile as I stepped out of my hiding place.  The look on Starscream’s face-plates were priceless. I snapped a picture, and filed it carefully away.  I wanted to remember that look.  

He screamed and charged, but was easy enough to take down.  Easier still to rip through his firewalls. Easier still to take him down, even with minimum damage. I admired my work for a moment once he was finally off-line.  I could almost understand Prime’s obsession.  Almost. Starscream was sleek, and not unattractive, if that was your thing.  He would look better grounded.  I left well enough alone, though, not wanting to witness the fit Prime would throw if his toy was broken before he had a chance to do so. Besides that, Ratchet was waiting.  

OoOoOoO

Starscream-

    I was puttering about the lab when I first heard the ruckus. I didn’t think anything of it at first. Sadly, that sort of thing happens on a regular basis. Soundwave’s herd...well they were not the quietest bunch. The laughed, they yelled, they chased each other, and on not a few occasion blew up things. It was just the nature of the beast, and I had long since learned to ignore it. I would have in this case as well, had things suddenly not proved to be different.  One second I was along, and then he was there.  How he got in, only entered my processor for a moment.  I didn’t care enough to speculate, not when I had more important things to do, like get away. I didn’t even have a chance to form a plan, there was a faint stinging between my armor plating. I plucked out the needle like projection the mech had shot at me, and stared at it dumbly for a klik before it fell from my servos, and clattered on the floor.  The noise was deafening, my first clue something was terribly wrong. My knees buckled.  He had killed me was my last thought before the world about me faded to black.  
   

 

OoOoOoO

Jazz-

It was a good battle, we routed the soft-embered Con’s.  Everything had gone as planned.  Everything and more.  We returned victorious, and I came back bearing a present for my ever-obsessive over-lord.  Prime had quirks, certainly. Quirks and obsessions. Prime could not, would not handle rejection well. Few would dare, and fewer still would do so and live to tell the tale. The scientist was one, and Prime obsessed over the Decepticon.  The scientist had refused him, spurned him. I knew that Prime would do anything at all to possess said scientist.  Prime had, after all been so enraged at the scientists refusal he had razed the Crystal City. He had put a “capture, not kill” reward on the scientist.  Something unheard of with Prime’s blood thirsty nature. I could not help but smile, and the fact that this little gift would eat at the second-in-commands processor, all the better.  It was a pleasant bonus.

The present in question whimpered under Ratchet’s merciless care.  “Nearly done.” Ratchet added.

I glared at him. For once he kept his servos to himself. As tempting as the the mech was, Ratchet was not about to muck-up the Prime’s gift. The fact that I would owe him, and owe him big for this was more than enough reward.  I watched him smiled in anticipation, it wasn’t difficult to read his processor in this case.  “The programming is in place.“

“Do you take me for an amateur? Of course it is.  He shall be, as you said...defiant in mind, and pliant in body.”

“Perfect.” I laughed.

OoOoOo

Starscream-

I woke to pain.

Pain. Confusion. A myriad of warnings flashed against my HUD. Red angry warnings.  
Most alarming:  
Weapons: off-line.

Self-defense systems: Off-line.

I attempted to reboot them. The Self-defense fails. I took a closer look, the fire-walls were stripped, the weapons were entirely gone.  
Flight systems: off-line.  
Transformation systems: off-line.    
I began to panic, and panicked worse when I caught the thread of programming weaving sinuously through all of my systems, to my core programming. It was insinuating itself deeper.  So deep it would be hopeless for me to remove it without doing irreparable damage to my own core programming and memory.  I scanned the program and would have flinched back had I been able to.  It was not slave programming, but it was not far off from it.    
I heard myself groan as I on-lined my audials and tried to make sense of the noise around me.  Two bots were speaking.  Talking about me as if I were not present.  Fear began to wing it’s way through my processor as I finally placed the voice: Jazz.  

It all came back to me. The battle. Our retreat.  Everything up until the blackness claimed me.  The self-same bot had attacked me.  Captured me. I tried to control the rapid whoosh of air through my vents.  Tried to clampdown my fear.  Whatever they were doing, it boded ill for me.  I wouldn't talk though. No matter what they did. No matter how much the tortured me. They would have to rip the information from my processor.  Suddenly though, it all came together for me, and I would have purged my tank had I been able.  Information was not what they wanted from me.

“Nearly done.” The one working on me said.  There was anticipation in his voice.  “Prime will enjoy breaking him, I do believe.”

“His mind, I’m sure of it, Ratchet.”  Jazz laughed.  “And breaking him in as well.”

I could not help but shiver inside.  Megatron would save me....He had to save me.  I only hope he did so before it was too late.  Time was ticking already, and it was growing short.

OoOoOo

It wasn't long before I was being herded down a long hallway, I craned my neck looking at the wall decorations, puzzling over what I was seeing until I realized with horrifying clarity just what I was looking at.  Corpses' nailed to the walls.  Grayed husks.  I could have purged right there in the hallway, but somehow managed not to.  I would have ran, but I knew I wouldn't get far, not when they merely had to order me to halt. I could have been screaming inside in protest, but my body would have still obeyed.   I was lead into an audience chamber. It was as dark as the hall, as lushly appointed.  It sickened me.  

“Stay there.” Jazz murmured, approaching the throne.  I couldn't make out what was said.  I am sure it was mostly conveyed through comm. I had done my best not to look at their Prime. Terror was quietly blossoming in my chest. My spark felt as though it was pounding against my chest. I had hoped to stay away from this Mech. As far as possible. He had destroyed the Crystal City. Toppled the Towers.  I could not bare to look at him.  Optronix.  He was far from the librarian I remembered. A very far cry from the mech that tried to seduce me to his side.  Optimus' face was hidden by the battle mask, but I did not have to see it to know he was grinning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go from bad to worse for Starscream.

Starscream-

I could not see his expression. I did not need to to know it amused him. He stepped down from the dais and circled me, touching my wings. Pinching, poking, dragging his claws across the flat planes of my wings until I finally whimpered. I did not want to make a sound. Still, he teased it out of me.

"Very, very pleasing, Jazz." He purred, his eyes going to his third in command for the briefest moment before his optics settled on me once more. I didn't want that regard.

"He is only missing one thing." He continued. "Perhaps, a collar about his neck?"

His eyes flicked to his bodyguard. "Ironhide, fetch one. Something jeweled and delicate."

I flinched at his next words, "And have my second in command summoned to my chambers. I want him to watch."

He grabbed my arm, pulling me along through the citadel. I barely paid attention to the path we cut through the building. His fingers felt as though they were burning through my plating. It was nothing compared to what he would do to me. I pleaded with whatever gods could hear to off-line me. None answered.

I was still very much on-line once we reached what could only be Optimus' quarters. They were opulent, and dark. The flooring, and the berth in the room beyond was black. Better to hide any stains, be they energon or organic blood. The thought made my spark quail and sputter inside my chest. Had I a weapon I would have off-lined myself, and perhaps saved myself a great deal of pain.

He pushed me through the first room, and into the one I could see beyond it. The berth was large, and took up a great deal of the room. The room itself made me quiver inside, not in a good way. I cast my eyes down, unable to look at the grayed out shells nailed to the wall. They were not full bodies in this case. Heads that stared blackly, pinned to the blood-red walls. I could have purged, but my tank was thankfully empty.

I was so busy trying not to stare at the grisly trophies that I did not even realize he had let go of my arm. He pushed me down onto the berth, cuffing me there before I had a chance to struggle. Not that I could have struggled with the programming that wretch put into me.

OoOoOoOoOo

Skyfire-

If there was ever a time that I wanted to off-line the Prime it was now. I watched him make my former lover writhe and scream on the berth. I could have ripped the fragger's spark from it's chamber and crush it in my hands till it was dust. I might even have tried if his bodyguard was not there.

I glared at Ironhide. I glared harder at Jazz.

I would have slagged them all if I had half a chance-less than half a chance at that point. I listened to Star cry out in pain, and I winced inside. For all that I might say otherwise, I loved him, would always love him, curse his soft spark. He never made things easy. He had to listen to that blasted conscious of his...and Megatron.

I hated him as much as I hated Optimus at this very moment. He had taken Star from me and filled his head with the most foolish ideas and ideals. So it had come to this. I watched Optimus pumping his spike into the seeker tied to the berth. There was no gentleness in it. Star was torn inside. There was a small pool of energon beneath him. His cries grew louder, and I could not help but wince.

Optimus' grip on the seeker's wings left dents, marring the delicate surface. I watched stoically, wincing deep inside my spark.. The last thing I could do was show emotion. Emotion was a weakness. It would play right into their hands. That was the last thing in the world I wanted to do. I couldn't afford to lose myself. I couldn't afford to lose Star this way either, but I could see no way to get him out of this. Not in one piece. Not without losing myself as well.

My attention flickered to Jazz. He was the cause of my current misery. Him...I would pay back. One way or another. I would make him very, very sorry for this. Perhaps his twin would have an accident. Either way I would find a way to take something dear from him. The what and how I had not figured out yet. Eventually though...eventually. I just needed time to work it out in my processor. Perhaps he would simply have an accident. He was terrified of heights, I knew that. He hated fliers because of it. He would be easy enough to grab and drop to his death. It was an appealing thought.

Star's screams broke my revelry. He screamed and screamed and screamed until the sound was lost in static. Optimus finally pulled himself off the seeker, chuckling at the way Star whimpered. I knew it would not stop. Were I a merciful bot, I would have found a way to sneak back in and off-line him. Stop the suffering that I knew would not end. Optimus had spent far, far too much time obsessing over him to ever willingly release him.

I was, however, not kind. I was selfish through and through. I could no sooner off-line Star than I could off-line myself.

"Just as delicious as I thought you would be." Optimus murmured. Rage boiled my coolant fluids.

"Even more so," Optimus purred and leaned in, kissing Star. It was obscenely tender, a kiss you would give a lover you never wanted to part.

"So beautiful, so perfect," he pronounced slowly. "Mine."

Fingers twitching, I wanted to rip out his spark and crush it. Instead, I sat. I watched. I was forced into inaction.

In all the vorns of my existence, I had never been helpless.

OoOoOoOoOo

Jazz-

I watched, and I understood, finally, why Optimus had obsessed over the seeker all of these vorns. He was beautiful. He squirmed and cried out as Optimus rode him, his body and his spark. Beautiful, and not mine.

Jealousy is an ugly emotion. Not like the clean, pleasant burn of anger or rage. Not the wonderful merry fire that is lust. Jealousy is dirty, angry, and it threatened to swallow my spark whole. I wanted to be where Starscream was, moaning beneath my leader. I did.

But more than that, I wanted the seeker for myself. I wanted to make him cry, scream and beg. And I gave up the chance! My generosity had bitten me in the aft. I would be well rewarded for giving Optimus this boon, but the seeker was well out of my servos, and I had no chance to get him back.

I glanced at Skyfire, judging his reaction. He hid it well. His gaze blank, and staring ahead at the sight before us. He did not fool me. I knew I had stricken him in the worst of ways. That, at least, I could be pleased with. Even if I would not get a chance at Starscream myself, I had gravely injured Skyfire. That made it all worth it. I smiled. It was enough...for now.

OoOoOoOoOo

Starscream-

My optics were off-line. It hurt. Everything hurt. I ignored the warnings flashing across my HUD. I tried not to move, it made the pain blossom anew. It was unbearable.

Finally, I started paying attention to what crossed my helm's display. I was torn inside, but nothing life-threatening. Scrapes, scuffs...no major wires ripped. I would be left with recorded data and live.

I did not want to. I could not bear to see Skyfire's face. Anything but that.

He had made no move to save me he had just-watched. I felt as though I could purge. I wished I could just off-line myself. Desperately. I wanted it to be over. More than anything. I wanted it to be a dream. I wanted to disappear, to even reformat my very soul-Anything.

I wasn't Skywarp. I could not escape. No one was going to save me. No one was going to fix it. The mech that had been my closest friend for more vorns than I could count did not even care. He never lifted a digit to help me. I could not bear to on-line my optics and look at this world where I was less than nothing. As if I had a choice. Prime never gave me choices.

I was forced to see. The command to on-line my optics to look into the face of my own personal devil was not something I could fight, not with that insipid programming in my system. He smiled down at me. It was almost benevolent. It sent chills scuttling through my circuits.

"So beautiful." he murmured, touching my cheek. It was all I could do not to flinch away and expected him to strike me. He just smiled, an indulgent little smile. "I have wanted you for so long." He leaned in his cheek plate against my own as he whispered against my audial sensor. "You refused me for so long. Thwarted me. No one else has done that, and you will not do that again, my pet. Never again."

I could not stop the whimper that came out of my ravaged vocal processor.

"So scared, it is delicious. I hope you never stop fearing me. I love it." His laugh made me want to begin shrieking anew.

"I hate you." I finally hissed, wishing it was enough for him to deliver the final blow to send me to oblivion.

"Good. Good. I wouldn't expect anything less. Hate me, that is fine. It will only make you squirm more underneath me." He smiled beatifically before his battle mask slid into place. I knew without a doubt he was smiling still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N-
> 
> ~While I am supposed to be writing NANO this has been bugging me all day, so it got written instead. I am sad. 4K on Nano, by the way. On chapter 2. Getting ready to start chapter 5. I am so far behind it is ridiculous.
> 
> ~The above is partially to blame. Ebil!Skyfire will not leave me alone. I find I like his voice a lot. He is full of rage, which is fun in this case.
> 
> ~Also, I did not get the all mirror!verse evil villains have goatees until yesterday. _ The conversations I have while going to Wal-mart to hunt for Transformer toys are very odd. Thank you evil!Spock. :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jazz makes a decision.

Starscream-

I was complicit in my own captivity to an extent. I was disgusted with myself, but I cooperated. I only had to look at the dead husks on the wall to know what my fate would be otherwise. I was scared. I lost track of the cycles. A decavorn, a vorn, I was not entirely sure how much time had passed. It could have been a million vorn for all I knew.

I was complicit. Perhaps more so as he changed me. Changed my frame. My armor had been the first thing Ratchet had removed. I felt bare without it. Too light. Naked. It only grew worse. My lower interface panel came next. I was nothing but a pleasure-bot, why would I need that? He pulled the little piece of metal off himself. It hurt. I am not going to lie. The glyphs were easier to live with. Red and black. They stood out brightly against the white backdrop of my form. The glyphs matched the collar and cuffs he had placed upon me. White metal, titanium, perhaps, with blinking crystals, jet and garnets. I looked, lovely, if you go for that sort of thing. Not, that any of the other bots saw me. If I was allowed out of the Prime's rooms I was covered head to toe, or so nearly. Red or black cowls. At the very least a loin-cloth. I didn't even want to know where he was getting the organic materials. I was, sadly, thankful for his possessiveness. Being shared with the whole of the Autobots...well things could have been worse. I would not have survived that.

He pulled me into his lap as he sat in his throne. I curled against him. He was warm, always so warm. It was a temptation to off-line my optics and just fall into recharge. I did not though, it wasn't safe. I only half listened as he issued orders to his commanders. I couldn't bring myself to care anymore. My world had shrank down to me an him, and sadly he was the center of my small little world. Megatron would have been devastated to see me thus. Perhaps I would have been as well. I'm not sure any longer.

His digits moved up my leg, unerringly finding my interface panel. He pushes on digit inside my valve rubbing against the sensor nodes. He was insistent. Gentle. I hated it, and I could already feel myself heating up with it. I burned. Desire and mortification, both battled inside me. I could feel the Autobots watching. I turned my head away. I couldn't meet their optics. Even so I knew they were watching. Skyfire was watching. He was always there. Always.

I could feel the overload building, and building. It amused him to push me over the edge. I cried out, and screamed, much to my own horror.

"Mmmm..." He chuckled, letting the mask slip away for a moment, he caught my lips. He kissed me hard. Too hard, I could taste the energon from the wounds he leaves. He always left me wounded. Just never broken. Unfortunately, he did not break his favorite toys, and thus I was stuck living in the pit itself.

I wanted it to be over. As if reading my mind, he pulled me close, his grip was possessive. Leaning into him, I rested my head on his shoulder. It was easier to give in. I knew that there wiould be no rescue. No one knew I'm even there.

He petted my back, not unlike the way one would soothe a trouble sparkling. My optics off-lined and I fell into a light recharge. I was safe enough from everyone, except perhaps him.

I did not know how long I had slept. I woke to arms around me, and Prime in recharge. He held me tight, too tight, I could only sigh and settle in. I knew my place. it was right were I was. The Decepticons would never accept me back as I now was. Used. Dirty. Prime made sure I knew this. He told me over and over. I was only good enough for this.

OoOoOoOo

Skyfire-

I watched, and planned. I could not stand it much longer. It had been a decavorn since Prime had gained ownership of Star, and I couldn't stand it lasting another stellar cycle. Prime taunted me. The seeker was present always now, like some decoration to adorn Prime's lap. Rage had become my constant companion. I sat back and watched, planning what I could. I could not take him back to the Decepticons. I would have him instead.

I raged inside at the position I had been placed in. Much of my time the past few cycles, I sought out possible hiding places. I had plans, I only had to set them into motion, and I waited for the perfect opportunity to grab the Seeker and run.

As luck would have it, I was very good at playing the waiting game. I would win this one as well.

Jazz sidled up beside me as we stood in the throne room. He had been acting off for days, but I do not think anyone else had noticed. No one was watching him as hard as I was. It was an exercise in restraint not to rip out his spark and shove it back down his intake.

"What do you want?" I growled.

"Nothing at all." His face-plates curled into a mad little smile.

Jazz looked ahead watching the Prime, a calculating look gracing his face-plates (not something that was not out of the ordinary). We all knew that the stupid little grounder wanted in Prime's berth. Wanted it badly, and Prime denied him at every turn. I think it was simply because he could. Jazz did have a certain lithe appeal, even I could see that. He held no candle to my Star, but few bots did.

"Mmm...right." I frowned, my own attention wandered back to the thrown.

"I am rather amazed you kicked that out of your berth."

"He sided with the Decepticons."

Jazz smirked, "You weren't very persuasive then."

"He is a very intelligent Mech."

"Prime has made him see the light."

"Prime has nearly broken him." I hissed back, unable to contain my own anger for once.

Jazz gave me a beautiful and pleased smile. "That hurts you more than anything? Doesn't it?"

My mouth snapped shut. I was not even going to deign to answer that. "Frag off." I finally snapped back.

He just laughed, a glint in his optics that I did not like. I wondered what he was up to. It was most likely something else to sabotage me.

"Frag off." I said again, looking away from him. I had plans to make. Plans that didn't include obnoxious Polyhexians. I thought hard, where could I even flee to. New Vos, perhaps. One of the neutral colonies. New Vos, well we could blend right in there. A few cosmetic changes, a designation change, and with any hope they would not be found.

OoOoOoOo

Jazz-

It was far more difficult to get the seeker alone than I imagined it would be. Prime kept him at his side most of the time as if he was afraid he was going to lose him. Funny how right he was. Getting him through the base was easy enough. I was used to sneaking around. It was in my job description, although, I couldn't say that I had ever dragged a half-tipsy. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that he kept the seeker drugged on top of everything else, but I was. It would make things easier. He fell into recharge as soon as we reached the ship. I hoped he would stay that way until we were clear of the sector. We'd have far to go before I reached the hidey-hole I had in mind. I had enough of them, just in case things went south. After this they would. I could not see how Prime would take well to his favorite toy going missing

Jazz-giveth, and Jazz-taketh away.

My escape went smoothly, and I couldn't help but smirk for a moment. Despite everything things were looking up. Starscream was in deep recharge long past the time we warped into neutral territory. I wasn't looking forward to tweaking his coding, so I was fine with that. I would never be able to remove what the medic put into play. It was too invasive, but I could change it's focus to myself. It had more than a little appeal to it. Sadly it would be the easiest of the changes. The cosmetic ones would be far more tedious. I never liked tweaking others color nanites, but in this case it would be a necessity. Changing the etchings, however would be tricky. Somehow I would manage, I always did. If nothing else I was resourceful.

I only prayed that my brother was just as resourceful, and did not suffer from the brunt of my betrayal.

Knowing Prime, he would be the first bot sent out for my head.

"Where am I?" came the panicked voice from the sleeping quarters. "Prime?"

I set the the ship on autopilot. I had expected this and grabbed one of the syringes filled with sedatives that I had stolen from Ratchet.

He was mostly how I had left him, cuffed to the berth. Mostly. He was clearly on-line, and not happy about it. The whimper that left his vocals nearly made me flinch. He was so broken.

"Where is Prime?"

"He is not here. Please calm down, you are safe."

"He needs me."

I sighed, accessing the medical port in his arm, and injected the sedative into his fuel-line. I knew it was going to be like this, but it did not make it any easier. "I am sure he will manage with out you for now."

"You can't keep me here, he needs me. Please, please don't do this." He cried, which I knew he would, and it would doubtlessly not be the last time. "Please don't do this."

I sighed inside, and regretted, not for the first time, taking him prisoner in the first place. Such a brilliant bot reduced to this. He cried a little longer before falling into a recharge. Prime had done far more than break him. I doubted I would be any kinder.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter in which they travel...a lot.

Jazz-

The seeker recharged fitfully, but I did not want to wake him. I was too busy freaking out over what I did. I had done some incredibly foolish things in my life. This, was by far at the top of that list. Far, far at the top. I could not, in fact, drag a single incident from my processor to top it. It was too late to truly regret it though. I set our course for Trenzalore. We could hide there for a time. The plains were beautiful during this season. It was not New Vos, but perhaps that could even be a stop on our journey. I knew Starscream would appreciate being among his own kind. I was still uneasy about it. I did not want him to get ideas. Not about that in any case.

I was not usually one to avoid doing what needed to be done. I had, strangely enough dreaded fixing Starscream's coding, or at least adjusting what I could. The coding was elegant. Simple, yet so entrenched in his functioning. I changed what I could. I was good, thankfully. It helped that he did not struggle against me. I kept him sedated, and he barely made a sound. Barely. I expected more tears when he woke. I had just ripped the one pillar away from him. Perhaps the one thing hat kept him stable, odd as it sounded. Perhaps, I would be that in time. I could only hope, as odd as that was.

I vented loudly, it didn't disturb him as I worked. The programming would recognize me when he woke. I couldn't see how he would be happy with it. I am not sure I would blame him in this case, as I set to work fixing other things. First his panel, then his coloration nanites. I finally settled on black, and made the nanites in the etchings the same color. It was the easiest way to go. Far easier than removing them. He looked handsome that coloration, but I doubted he would see it that way. It was just one more piece of his identity that had been stripped away. Had I been in his place, I would be equally alarmed.

I know I didn't want to change myself, but ended up doing so anyway, settling on silver, and changing my frame enough so I would not be recognized as myself. Spiky armor, and sleek lines. It would do. I thanked my creators for the millionth time for sparking my ember as a chimera. Being about to change my appearance so radically was no small blessing. Few enough new about it. Few being no one but my brother. It is a gift that got a bot killed. My kind were not to be trusted. I tried not to dwell that I was not going to be one of the unlucky ones. I had seen enough of the shape-changing devils dismantles alive to do everything in my power not to be one.

The seeker was watching me, his optics wide, but he said nothing. I was sure he would have a surfeit of questions later. I knew I would.

"Feeling okay?" I found myself asking, and actually wanting an answer.

"Best as can be, all things considered." He finally said, cautiously.

"Mmmm...right. Kidnapping always leaves me sour too."

He pulled a face. "Maybe you shouldn't have done it the first time."

I ducked my head, "Would you have preferred I killed you?"

"Maybe." He said, looking unhappy. "What...what are you going to do with me?"

I watched him fret over it. "I don't know yet."

There was a flash of anger, and then the tears of leaking lubricants. I've never met a mech that cried so much. If any, he did have reason. "Then why did you take me? I...I had at least some-peace."

"He was killing you."

"Perhaps that would have been for the best." There was an empty look on his face. "I miss him."

He had only been with Prime a decivorn. I hated to see what he would have been like under the Prime's thumb after a vorn. "No, you do not." I found myself snapping. "You will stop this." I sighed, feeling a processor-ache coming on.

"As you wish..." He looked away, humiliated. "Master."

"Don't..." I vented heavily, and felt like I could strangle the seeker. "Perhaps you could work in the lab. It is towards the back. It isn't big, but...it might occupy your mind." It was why I had picked Marauder. It was a big enough starship to have a lab, albeit a small one, and had some of the best stealth-tech in the Prime's fleet. I was also more than nominally familiar with it, having taken it out on more than a few runs.

"I can?" he finally whispered.

"I wouldn't suggest it otherwise."

"Where are we going?"

"I-honestly-Trenzalore for now. Maybe New Vos later." I finally answered, as truthful as I could be. He deserved that at least. I looked at him hard for a moment. I still wanted him. Badly. But it could wait.

"You could take me home." He asked, hopeful.

"I'm not dropping you off on Megatron's doorstep. Get that out of your processor now. You aren't going back to Prime, or Megatron." I vented angrily. "You are mine. Don't ask again."

He flinched, and I hated it. It was what I wanted, and yet, I felt so blasted bad about it. That only made me more angry. I was becoming more soft-embered then those stupid Decepticons. I don't know when I had grown a conscious. I wondered for the first time if this was what Sideswipe had felt like. Why he had betrayed us?

Betrayed them. I corrected myself. I couldn't claim to be an Autobot. Not after this.

OoOoOoOoOo

Starscream-

If I found a measure of peace with Prime, I found none at all with Jazz. He refused to let me loll off in recharge all cycle. He pushed me off into the lab. Forced me to think, which was the last thing in the universe I wanted to do. I wanted to lie down, and off-line permanently. He refused me. Instead he kept me busy, and surprisingly, did not paw or grope me. It was...bizarre to say the least. I did not know what to think of any of it.

He was also a surprisingly comfortable travel companion. Trenzalore had been surprisingly pleasant. It was a placid and sprawling planet. Organic, with wide stretches of water that glimmered blue under their yellow sun. The cities were organic and flowed with the landscape. Surprisingly we blended in well enough in the trade cities. There was enough Non-organics and techno-organics that we did had no issue. I had no idea there were so many techno-organic species, and hybrids. The hybrids! The boggled my processor the slightest bit.

We explored it like tourists, and posed as a bonded pair. His alias fell surprisingly easy off of my processor. Meister somehow fit him, and he simply called me Star in public. Actually in private as well. It was disconcerting. No one but Skyfire has called me that. It still hurt. I doubted that it would ever stop.

"Credit for your thoughts?" Jazz asked, watching me as I jotted down notes from my latest experiment.

I looked up, and watched him for a moment, "Doubt it would be worth a credit. Not thinking much, honestly."

He frowned, and then nodded at me. "We need to leave Trenzalore soon."

I wasn't surprised. "Where are we going, master?"

"Mmm...I'm still thinking about it. Perhaps Valldon,or Delvia. One of the trade-worlds at least. It's easier to hide in those."

I nodded unable to look at him. I did not pretend to understand any of this. I looked down at myself, still unused to the color change. I did not know myself any longer. "If you wish."

Jazz looked me up at down, his gaze calculating. "I do. I don't want to be caught, and you shouldn't either."

I refrained from pointing out that I was already caught. I doubted her would want to hear it. I didn't even want to hear it. Sometimes I could even pretend it was my choice, and that I wanted to be there.

OoOoOoOoOo

Skyfire-

Prime was enraged. His rage shook the halls more than it ever had in the past. I even felt it myself, but held it deep in my spark. He ranted, raved and sounded altogether mad. That much, I witnessed. The steady glow of rage behind his optics burned anyone who dared meet them. I am not sure which stung more: Jazz's betrayal, or Star's theft.

I would like to say I was surprised, but in many ways I was not. He wasn't expecting such a betrayal, but I was. Granted, I had intended myself to be the one doing the betraying. I wanted my seeker! This, however, put a kink in any plans that I had. There were no sightings, and no one had any clue where the erstwhile Autobot had flown the coop to.

I was going to find them, and when I did I was going to rip Jazz's traitorous ember from his chamber. I was broken from my revelry by a shuffling noise. Ricochet was watching me.

I had always found the mech to be unsettling. He was a berserker, and I doubt he had much control over the fact. It made me idly wonder, for a klik what sort of deficiency his twin had. Aside from that he was paranoid, and as much as he loved his twin, I was equally sure he would kill Jazz given half a chance. Not a bad thing in my book. But he could as easily turn on me. And that was a bit of a problem, in my book.

"What?" I snapped finally, tired of waiting for the bot to speak up.

"I want to go with you."

"It's obvious enough. You are going to go after them." He growled. "I want first crack at Jazz."

"I don't know what you are talking about." I sneered. Of course I was going to go after them, but I wasn't' going to tell this monster.

OoOoOoOoOo

Starscream-

We fell into an odd pattern, living so close. We would read together in the mornings, the silence not uncomfortable. I would go putter in the lab for a few hours. It was never anything serious. More busy work, honestly. Something to occupy my time. I found it odd that he would indulge me this way. Prime never had. I was a decoration to grace his berth (or his lap.) It shamed me to think of it. Shamed me worse that I missed it still. It was easy. Easy to let my life slip away.

This, on the other hand, was hard. Jazz expected me to live. I didn't quite understand it. Even after all the time we had spent together on this crazy jaunt of his. I could not understand. I didn't know why he had stolen me away. Why he sacrificed what he had for this. Mostly, I did not understood why he still had not touched me or made any move to take me to his berth. I could tell he wanted to. It was obvious. He would look at me and sometimes his fans would kick on or his vents hitch. I wasn't sure why he was punishing himself with it. Why he was punishing us both. I could not say I would protest having him in my own berth, had I a choice in the matter. He had a certain appeal. I liked his sleekness, and the sharp edges, well I found them appealing as well.

"So, what do you think of it?" Jazz finally asked.

"Of?"

" Valldon." He barked a laugh.

"Not so different from Delvia, Litigara or Daffodil. Lot's of organics, lots of neutrals." I made myself smile. "And their energon is lacking."

"I will give you that." He agreed laughing. He moved closer. "Sadly, it is not safe to go to most of the planets in the commonwealth."

"Like the uncharted territories are much better."

Jazz shrugged, "They are uncharted for a reason. It's a good thing. Lots of places to hide."

I couldn't argue. He had kept us safe so far.

I refrained from rolling my optics. "As you say."

Jazz shrugged, "They are uncharted for a reason. Lots of places to hide."

I couldn't argue. He had kept us safe so far.

OoOoOoOoOo

New Vos was little enough like Vos. The Aeries did not rise above the ground in a weave of latticework and gleaming stone. There were no hanging gardens, no castles in the sky. I had been embered in on of those those towers. It was a good place to be born in. Sadly, it had fallen as swiftly as the Crystal City.

New Vos held none of the fragile beauty of my childhood home, nor the ethereal charm of the city of my youth. It was stark. Defensible. Beautiful in it's coldness. The towers rose up like knives, towering over each other as if they were racing each other to get away from dirt they were built on. It made me miss Vos and Cybertron even more with all its pretense at being a new home for our people. It was like a bad coloring job.

"We should not have came here." I hissed to Jazz, a feeling of dread settled in.

"We are hiding in plain sight, love. Don't get your processor in a knot."

I cringed inside, more from the endearment then anything. It was his newest habit. Love this, sweet-ember that. I did not trust it anymore than I trusted him. Yet there I was, strolling beside him on the streets of New Vos. The under-city was packed with merchants. Ground-pounders and Ariels alike. Even some Seekers. They sold exotic wares: Organic materials, precious gems, jewelry, modifications. It is could be imagined it was most likely here.

"You make that difficult." I said in turn, my tone tart.

He only laughed at me. He found much of what I did and said bordering on hilarious. He watched me, and I watched him back. We had been dancing this game for far too long. Three decavorns by my chronometer. It seemed like an eternity and at the same time no time at all. It was maddening.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skyfire gets a surprise. Maybe not a good one.

Skyfire-

They were always one step ahead of me. Try as I might I could not seem to catch up. As far as I could tell they would stay planet-side for a short time before hopping along to another planet. They had no discernible path, no clear destination.

In short, they were making my logic circuits fizzle and glitch.

OoOoOoOo

Starscream-

It seemed like a good idea at the time. I will admit, though, it was not my best hour. He left me alone to putter in the lab. Once I realized it, I began working through my own programming, hoping I was wrong, and that I could, in fact, remove it...overwrite it, at the very least. It was a beautiful piece of scripting, even with Jazz's adjustments. Perhaps, even because of them. He had a talent for it.

I...did not. But that did not stop me from trying. to. Had I been at home, I probably would have over written it all with a back-up memory core. It wasn't a luxury I was blessed with at the moment. I had no external back-ups, and even if I would have made it back to the Autobots...what I had would have been missing so much time. I am not sure that would not have been a bad idea. As it was, the coding was so mixed up in my soul, it was dismal.

I considered scripting a virus, but more than likely it would burn away my self awareness, and leave nothing but a husk. Not exactly my aim. So I worked at it, a script at a time. It might have even worked if the scripting wasn't programmed at fight back. Warnings flooded my HUD. Red blinking one, never a good sign. The flood of pain was a surprise though. It flew across my sensor net, lighting up every node in just the wrong way. It was a relief when everything went black.

I came back on-line to Jazz cursing. Cursing and tweaking at my coding through a hard-line. ::Really, do you want to off-line yourself that badly?::

::Nonononono...was only trying to fix.::

::You've scrambled yourself something horrible.:: He vented heavily as he worked through my systems fixing whatever it was I had mucked up.

::Maybe that would be better.::

::No. It would not be better. Stupid foolish seeker. What would that be better?::

::I don't want to be a slave.::

::I know. Maybe we can fix that.::

::I don't want to be a slave.:: I added more firmly.

::I meant we could fix your programming...maybe. I don't know if it's fixable.::

::I don't trust you.::

::Got to trust someone, Star.::

::You are the whole reason I'm in this mess.::

::And maybe I can get you out.::

I sent him back the glyph for irritation. I didn't care what he said, I didn't trust him. Couldn't trust him. He had given me over to that blasted medic. Stupid Hatchet. "I hate you." My vocalizer sputtered.

"I know." He vented heavily as he watched me. "I still want to fix this for you."

I gave him a sullen look. "Stop trying to trick me. You just want me."

He laughed at me. LAUGHED! "I didn't realize that was a secret." he shrugged watching me.

"I-I really don't understand."

"Neither do I." Jazz said. "But I will still help you as much as I can."

OoOoOoOo

Jazz-

I had thought he off-lined himself when I came into the lab. He was sprawled out, unresponsive. I thought my ember might sputter and go out for a moment, but when I did a scan I realized he fallen into stasis.

I checked through the notes he made. It wasn't good, certainly. I had tried to rewrite those same parts of his code to no avail. Bracing myself, and I finally opened one of his medical ports, jacking into his system. It was a mess. More than a mess, I made myself comfortable and set to fixing what he tried to destroy. It was a wonder he had not damaged his memory core, but thankfully that was intact. Stupid, impulsive seeker. He probably did not even realize how close he had came to extinguishing his own spark. That it had came to this. I would not be amiss to say that it hurt. It shouldn't have. I shouldn't care.

But I did.

It was alarming.

I wasn't used to being adrift. I didn't know what to do to fix any of it. It would have been easy to go back to the way things were. It would have been easier to care, easier to hurt him. Much easier to just take what I wanted, and be done with it.

But, I was changing. I had changed, really. It wasn't something I was ready to come to grips with.

So instead, I sat back, and concentrated on fixing what I could, waiting for him to comeback on-line. I did not know what else to do.

OoOoOoOo

Skyfire-

I finally caught up with them in New Vos. Or at least that was what I was hoping. There were sightings of a ship matching the descriptions of the Maurader. I did not, unfortunately, find any mechs matching their description. I despaired, and feared I would not find Star before Prime's force did. The rage was still there under everything, but at this point I was truly afraid Star was lost to me, a second time.

I cursed myself a thousand times over for ever having let him go in the first place. If only Megatron had not gotten in the way. I had even considered letting that Mech know that Star was, in fact, on-line. I was not that desperate, frankly. There was still a chance I might get him back. The smallest of chances. Provided Jazz had not damaged him further. The thought made me cringe. Prime had already done a good enough job of that.

OoOoOoOo

Starscream-

I on-lined in pain. Nothing like before, but my sensor net was still tweaking as if it was unhappy with the abuse from the previous cycle. He was there,and looking relieved. "I'm still functioning."

"Surprisingly after what you did to yourself." He said,still watching me. His tone was oddly solemn. "It was close."

"Perhaps it would have been better."

"Don't say that. There is always a chance we can fix it."

"We?"

"Maybe you are still glitched."

"You promised to help, but I didn't think..."

"That I was telling the truth? I know. We'll have to work on that as well."

He nodded, and we started working that very cycle. It took up much of our time. His notes were thorough, and I was impressed. I can admit it, I honestly was. Impressed, confused, and... smitten, despite myself. Not that I would have admitted that to him. However, I couldn't trust him any farther than I could throw him.

We were very careful, and rarely left our ship. Jazz had spotted Prime's Elite Seekers first, and thought it best we buckle down and hide in plain sight. It worked, but it played havoc on my already frayed emotional protocols. They were too close for comfort. Far too close.

OoOoOoOo

Skyfire-

I had been dodging Prime's Elite Seekers for too many cycles on New Vos,and still has nott found Star. Luckily, they had not found him either. Cold comfort, I know, but it was all I had. I was exhausting my resources, and had very little to show for it.

They took me by surprise. I did not even see my attackers. There were too many, far too many. The world went mercifully dark. Not surprisingly, my last thought was of Star, my guiding light. I was never going to find him.

OoOoOoOo

"Where is he?" the voice growled at me as I came on-line.

Megatron.

That day could not have gotten any worse.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Megatron asks for too much, but gets it anyway.

Starfire-

"If I knew where he was, I'm pretty sure I'd have him with me." I snapped, glaring up at the Decepticon. This was the last thing in the world I needed. More complications.

Megatron glared at me. "I will ask you one more time, where is he?"

"Oh, frag it. Jazz has him. I'm been trying to catch up with the slagger for an age."

"What did you do to our trine-mate?" The aeriel behind Megatron asked. The weird, quiet one. Skywarp, my processor provided after a moment.

"Jazz-"

"So you say," the jet added, still glaring at me over me Megatron's shoulder. "If you've hurt him I will make you so very sorry."

He made me nervous. Telekinetics were dangerous creatures. Especially angry ones.

"I haven't hurt him, I was trying to save him." I said, my tone sullen. "Optimus..."

"I can imagine." Megatron said holding a hand up to forestall me. "Now...you will tell me what you know."

I looked at him for a long moment. He would save Star. At that point it was all I wanted. Just for him to be safe. I told him everything.

OoOoOoOoOo

Starscream-

We worked on the code together. It was oddly comforting. I wanted to be close to him, and I knew I shouldn't. Still, I could tell he was trying. He was also afraid to leave me alone. I could tell by the way he clung, the way he hovered, and oddly it gave me the power in our relationship-or whatever this was. I wasn't even sure anymore. I think had I really wanted to he would have just let me leave. I didn't want to. I was, sad to say, scared to do so. Not so much out of any fear of what he would do to me. No I was afraid of what Prime's bots would do to me if they caught me,and worse yet what Prime would do.

I was also afraid of being alone. My kind..it's just not in out nature not to be bonded. We fliers need others. We need flock, trine, gestalt. Our emotional integrity depends on it. I had began to rely on Jazz for that. He was the one constant in my life. The only thing I had left to cling to. I was not happy with the situation, but it was immutable as far as I could tell.

OoOoOoOoOo

We were walking through the square of the city closest to where Marauder was hidden. It was a mistake, clearly, Goldbug spotted us.

"You two, stop."

I flinched, moving closer to Jazz. For one horrible moment I thought Jazz would give me up. I thought he would shove me towards the yellow and black mech and be done with it. He did not, however, he grabbed my hand instead, giving it a squeeze. "Us? What did we do?" Jazz asked. His grip on my servo tightened. I was glad for the millionth time for the change in out appearance.

"Have you seen these two mechs?" Goldenbug asked, pulling out a holo of Jazz and I.

"Can't say that we have." Jazz said, smiling as the easy lie flicked out of his processor. "My bond-mate and I haven't been on this planet long though."

Goldenbug sneered at us. "Filthy neutrals. If you see them you had better let us know."

"Right, we will get right on that." Jazz said, pulling me along.

Jazz could have given me up. He could have lied and saved his place among their ranks. Instead he cringed and clung to me convincingly, and I held onto him just as tightly. Goldenbug sneered at us, but finally left us alone. We weren't his prey, so he thought.

I clung to Jazz well after Goldenbug was gone.

We made a winding way back to Maurader, and Jazz initialized it's chameleon field, changing it's appearance.

He was calm about the whole incident, at least outwardly. I-well-I was a mess. I stayed close to him even after we had made it inside the ship and locked herself inside tightly. We were safe. I wondered for a moment when it had became 'we.'

I watched him, my processor whirling with it. He had kept me safe. It could be a trick, but my spark told me it wasn't. Foolish spark, it had all kinds of things to say about Jazz. I could tell by the way it whirled and jittered faster whenever he was near. It had done that only for two other bots that had been in my life. Skyfire and Megatron. The first-well that had not ended so well. I was still fuming inside that he had watched. He had watched while that monster had raped me. Watched and did nothing. It hurt.

The latter though...Megatron thought I was dead, no doubt of that. I missed him even now.

OoOoOoOoOo

Jazz-

We made it back to the ship,and settled back in. I was still amazed we had gotten away. More than halfway. Star was as much of a mess as I was. I tried to play it cool and hide my own inner turmoil. I had been terrified though. Star clearly still was. He shook.

"You could have gave me up."

"I wouldn't do that. I helped you escape."

"You could have lied about it."

"I could have." I agreed slowly. "But-."

"But?" Starscream asked me.

I pulled him close, smoothing over the wings in an attempt to calm him. "I'm rather invested at this point." His shaking calmed, but still he clung to me, and finally he relaxed.

"Good."

I wasn't even sure what that meant, so I held my peace. "Perhaps going to the Decepticons isn't such a bad idea." I said finally. "They might slag me, but yeah...it would keep you out of the Prime's paws."

OoOoOoOoOo

"It doesn't sit well with me." I frowned. The more he thought about it the more uneasy I became.

"What doesn't?"

"The way they just let us go." I sat and thought about it. "They..slag it. They let us go."

Star looked a me like I suddenly grew an organic head. "What?"

"Slagging Goldbug knew who we were. They are probably expecting us to lead them straight to Megatron."

Star nodded, "So, what do we do then?"

"We wait."

"Wonderful."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Why is it when I think things can't get any worse..." I vented and tried not to panic, looked at the coding again and had a horrible sinking feeling shoot through my processor.

"What?"

"Ratchet." I croaked, my vocals bleeding out into static.

Star gave me a side long glance, his gold optics flaring for a moment. "What, just tell me."

"It wasn't just the slave coding. That is there and wound in tight. But it's not the only thing he put in you. Slagging treacherous Ember."

"What are you going on about, Jazz. You're scaring me."

"Pits. I'm scared too. It's not just the slave coning. He made you a walking bomb, Star. I don't know how to get it out without triggering the whole mess. I don't-I don't know why I thought it a good idea to trust him with that." I felt like purging.

"Perhaps...you are wrong?" Star said, his own vocals staticy.

"No-it's probably a power play. Was a power-play. The medic craves power as much as Prime. It...you are just lucky he didn't trigger it." I shivered. "They are all treacherous. Every last one."

"So, I'm going to-"

"Don't say it. I won't let that happen."

"Some things cannot be stopped. It's war. There are always casualties." Star said mournfully.

OoOoOoOoOo

Skyfire-

I needed recharge badly, but that was not forthcoming.

"We found them." Megatron said, eyeing me.

"We?"

"The autobots, actually. Goldenbug. He reported it to his commander, and..." he smirked.

I wondered for a moment about the implications of that. He obviously had someone on the inside. Someone in Prime's inner-circle. I did not think for a moment that he would tell me,but the possibilities were narrowing by the klik. Heads would roll is Prime caught wind. Everyone who was close to him. He was paranoid and crazy enough to kill them all, and not for the first time I was happy to get out.

Megatron watched me for a moment as if weighing his options. "You have a choice to make."

I sighed inside. "Prime will kill me on sight."

"I am not sure that is a good enough reason to trust you."

I grimaced, "What do you want?"

Megatron smirked, "A full scan of all of your files."

I twitched. "Everything."

"Everything." Megatron said.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is work done, bots are found, and Starscream isn't very happy. Neither is Jazz.

Starscream-

I won't lie. I was terrified. Jazz held me for a long time. He didn't complain about the lubricant leaking from my optics. He just held me tightly. I think he was just as scared, to be honest. I don't think I would have let go, who knows where it would have lead had the explosion not rocked the ship. We never even had a chance to leave New Vos. It was soon filled with smoke, and yelling. I was ripped out of Jazz's arms.

I struggled against my attacker, screeching and clawing for all I was worth.

"Starscream." a voice barked against my audial, and at least reached my processor.

"Skywarp?"

I let myself sag against him for a moment in relief. Relief until I realized that Thundercracker had a hold of Jazz, a blaster to his head. "No, please no. TC...let him go."

Thundercracker gave me a look as if I had lost my processor. Perhaps, I had. I wiggled out of Skywarp's hold, and crossed the space, pushing the blaster away.

"He saved my life."

"I did." Jazz agreed, looking cheeky again, his arms wrapping around me.

"He grabbed you from the battlefield." Thundercracker ground out.

"And got me away from Prime." I said stubbornly. He was the cause of all of my troubles, but no one was perfect I figured. I certainly was not.

OoOoOoOo

Thundercracker looked me up and down, smirking, "You look good in black." It was a far, far cry from his own loud coloration.

"I look somber."

"Not a bad thing." Thundercracker said, eying Jazz with suspicion.

"How did you find me anyway?" I finally asked.

"A little bird told Megatron."

I nodded, and not for the first time wondered who his spies were in the Autobots legions. A few were clearly high in the ranks, possibly even in the innermost circle. I felt for them. The possibility of discovery. Prime would take them apart piece by piece while they were still alive. "You...we can't go straight to...Thundercracker...I can't go near Megatron."

"What?" Thundercracker gave me a sideways glance and I vented heavily in frustration.

"The-Ratchet changed my coding. He made me-" I shivered and my voice cracked. "Thundercracker, I'm a bomb. I could just-"

"I don't know if he meant to go after Megatron or Optimus, or what the purpose was, but I just-I can't go near him. Not with this inside me."

Thundercracker nodded, "Perhaps Soundwave can."

"Perhaps, I don't know if it can even be removed. Jazz and I have been working on it, but we haven't had any luck with that. It's very deep-seated in my memory-core."

Thundercracker pulled me close, hugging me tightly. "Fine, we will do what we can then." Still he gave Jazz a suspicious glance.

OoOoOoOo

Jazz-

I was in a state of shock as we traveled back to the Decepticon's base. I do not believe I could have paid attention to our course had I wanted to. Star curled up against me in deep recharge. I held on tightly. I was still terrified that they would pry me away from him. I could tell Thundercracker had more than a half-mind to off-line me despite Star's pleading. He might have had Skywarp not stopped him. I was thankful for the other aerials calm presence. It seemed too soothe Star, even if they wanted to off me.

I glared at Thundercracker, and pulled Star closer. He could hate me all he wanted.I was not going to give this up. I felt a growl rising in my vocal processor. I shouldn't feel as possessive as I did, but I couldn't seem to help myself. If I made it though this alive I was going to do my best to stake my own claim. He was mine, and I did not plan on sharing him with anyone. Not Megatron, not anyone.

I was a horrible slagger, I know.

OoOoOoOo

Skyfire-

He would not meet my optics when they finally brought him in. I won't say that it did not hurt. Equally as much as it hurt to seem him cling to that stupid Polyhexian. I detested him. I truly did. I found it odd that he did not look smug about it. I vented heavily, holding my temper for now. There was enough other things to be cross about: my defection for one. My processor still ached. I demanded to be awake when they did the extraction.

I watched Megatron, he seemed equally unhappy. I was glad I was not the only one suffering through this. "He is well enough."

"Good." I replied, my vocals clipped. "What are you going to do?"

"What I can." He said in a colder tone than I had heard from him. "Thundercracker's report wasn't...good." His optics flicked to me.

"What?" I asked, wanting to know what he wasn't saying.

"There is something wrong with Starscream's processor."

It shook me. "What can I do to help?"

"It is...taken care of. We are eliminating the issue."

"Prime?" I asked, racking my processor to figure out the problem.

"No, Ratchet, actually. But, it will be taken care of." he said, looking grim. For all that he was being practical about it I could tell even this loss of life hung heavy on his processor.

"Your spy will take care of the issue then?"

He smiled. "I am not going to tell you who it is. Do not even ask."

I smiled back, "I wouldn't dream of it."

OoOoOoOo

Jazz-

"Dude. This is a mess." Soundwave said as we picked through the coding. "Wow, wow, wow...how did they even. Wow."

I gave Soundwave a sideways glance. His chatter was distracting. I exchanged an exasperated look with Hook, who merely shrugged. Soundwave was Soundwave, and apparently that was how he rolled.

"Like, what the frag." The mech kept on talking. "Why would the even do this?"

His optics met mine, "This is bogus, seriously."

"Who knows, Wave." Hook said with more patience than I possessed. "Let's get this finished and worry about the whys later. Okay?"

"Rock on. Let's get this done." Soundwave said in his too perky voice.

I looked down at Starscream. He at least looked peaceful in stasis. Far more peaceful than I felt. Hook, Soundwave and I had been working on unraveling the programming for three joors. It was delicate work and slow going. I wondered how no one had off-lined Soundwave. He was beyond perky.

"Dude, stop worrying so much." Soundwave said breaking my thoughts. "We're nearly there, so chill."

I shrugged. "Right."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An end of things, but not really.

Starscream-

I came out of recharge and immediately felt the change. Everything was clearer than it had been in longer than I could recall.

"Starscream?" I on-lined my optics, surprised to see Megatron.

"M-megatron. I-where is Jazz?"

He frowned, "We weren't sure you would want to see him. All things considered."

I frowned back. The programming had not really had any bearing on my emotions, so much as it did my actions. The removal did not change how I felt in the least, granted I had not ventured to put a name to exactly what it was I felt. "I do though. This...this changes nothing." And yet it did. It changed everything.

Megatron's frown deepened. "I see." He put a hand over my own. "I was hoping..."

I pulled a face, I didn't even want to touch that right now. We had been dancing around it for vorns. He wanted me. He didn't want me. He was my dearest friend, and probably one of the few people that understood me, but he was also as fickle as they came. "Mmm..." I finally said, making a sound of non-commitment. "How did you find us?"

His lips did curl into a smile. "Not all of Optronix's inner-circle is as loyal as he would like to think."

"Whom?"

"Blur and Ironhide. But in this case the latter. The medic was eliminated."

I shivered. "I see."

"Skyfire is here."

"I-" I didn't even know what to say to that. I hated him, and loved him. Perhaps too much of the latter. The hate still burned merrily though. "I can't yet. Please don't make me."

"Thank you. Now...can I please see Jazz? Please?"

Megatron vented deeply. I knew he had hoped I would not do this. That I would run into his arms, I guess. I'm not going to quibble about it and say I don't love him. I do. But he had his chance.

"I will go get him for you." he said finally.

"Thanks." I murmured. "Before you go-I-that is-what are you going to do about Prime?"

"We will speak of it later." He finally said, and walked from the room.

I pursed my lips. "I'm sure we will."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Megatron left and Jazz came in soon afterwards. He was hesitant. A change, for certain, and was still in the silver form, not the more familiar black and white one. I was thankful for that much. I was rather fond of him this way.

"It worked." He said in an awkward manner.

I gave him a little smile, "Yes, it worked."

"I just wanted to make sure you were...um...okay."

"I'm fine."

"Your coloration..."

"Hmmm...no. I've grown rather fond of this color."

I watched him squirm for a moment taking a bit of perverse pleasure from it.

"I...I should go. I just wanted to make sure you were fine." he vented heavily and turned to go.

"Don't."

He stopped and turned, watched me but didn't move any closer. He was waiting, and I, for once, had trouble finding the words.

"Stay...please. I don't know what this is, but I would like to find out where it is going."

He was silent for a moment. "So would I."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Skyfire-

I watched Jazz go into the med-bay. I couldn't say I was happy about it, but perhaps it was for the best. I would keep telling myself that anyway. Maybe some things were just not meant to be, and if I was truthful with myself, which I tried to be these days, I ruined my chance. It was time to make the best of a bad situation.

"Now what?" I asked Megatron.

Megatron smiled, "We take Prime down, what else."

I smiled back. It was music to my audials.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Jazz-

I watched him slip back into recharge. His servo still in my own. He held on tightly, and twitched slightly. Normally recharge held no such recall for us, but I worried that his would always replay the horrors he had seen, and I worried more that I would never be able to shield him from it. I had not had a chance to examine my goals in too long, to wonder what the future held. Now, I had all the time to do that and it was over-whelming at best.

I looked at Star. It wasn't so hard to chose sides anymore, or change my path. Greed and blood-lust had only gotten me so far. So I watched him, and smiled. There was still things to do. So much to do. A dictator to topple, a planet to save, but I was content for now.

The rest could wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- Well, that is the end, and not really the end at all. I am planning on (hopefully) two more follow-up stories to this, after I've cleared up my back-log a bit.


End file.
